Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Grand Peak Ella, Sri Lanka reviewed

Location: It is close to the Ella railway station and three attractions in the area (if you are up for hiking). They are the Nine Arch Bridge, Mini Adams Peak, and Ella Rock.

Food: We only asked for breakfast. We were there for two days. Both days we got bread. Earliest you can get breakfast is 8.00 a.m. However, we managed to get them to pack us some sandwiches earlier because we wanted to start our day early. Not much variety, but the food they served tasted good. If you are a coffee fan you are in luck. Their tea was not good. They will not provide food for the driver. However, you could order separately at a discounted rate. For all your food/beer/cocktail needs I suggest you head on to "360 Ella". It is located at the middle of the Ella town opposite Bank of Ceylon.

Staff: The Manager speaks English and is friendly. There are about four people to look after the place. One made my wife very uncomfortable with his continuous staring.

Cleanliness: We were welcomed by a cockroach and a lizard as we entered the room. We killed the roach and chased the lizard only to find black ants! Towels were stained and we found sand on the bed. There was an unpleasant odour off and on, which we suspected to be from the toilet.

Security: Ella sleeps late compared to what it was a few years ago. However, having a window with a broken lock still bothered me. Rumour has it that there were few HIV cases reported in the area. Anyway no harm in playing it safe. :) Our room was protected with wire meshes on the grills of the windows, however, the mosquito net over the bed was torn.

Lighting: Sufficient :)

Facilities: Free Wi-Fi available, no TV, no A/C (this isn't a major issue), no parking within the hotel premises (available outside).